Torrent valve for sprinkler systems



June24, 1930. L. MLEWIS 1,765,840

TORRENT VALVE FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Filed April 50, 1928 'Patented June 214, 1930 wmvw LEROY M. LEWIS,v oJjRosEMONT., PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNOElTo' CENTRAL AUTOMATIC SPEINKLER. COMPANY,V OE PHIILAEE'LrHIA,1 ENNsYLVANA, A CORPORATION OE,

DELAWARE a i .,...Y f @TORRENT VALVE FOR Application lieagapfii 30,

My invention relates to'v valves .known as l torrent valves, which are frequently? uti'- lized in those types of Vsprinkler;systemsin 'Which, vupon the-opening -of one of .the

sprinklerheadsla solution other than Water is initially released and thereafter succeed-v edby a liovv of Water frolla;v the head. Sys-y teiinsl of this character arev fparticularly adapted vfor use `Where the sprinklerfheads are disposed inbuildings or the like in which the temperature conditions arey such that if the pipes of the system leading thereto were normally iilled With water/there Wouldbe f Y danger ofthe latterfreezingy and thus pre'- venting the proper .operation oithe vheads upon theloccurrence offaayfihre. Tof `obviate this diiculty the system or atleast that portion'r-thereof which is exposed to ithe rlow temperature conditions is frnormally .-illed with someA suitable nonfreezing solution, suchas a solution of calcium chloride, maintained under suiicientheadto forcibly issue fromv one or InoreffofV the: sprinklerv heads upon an opening of thefflatter but ras this solution 'is necessarily limited in `quantity it is desirable ,to provide meansA for'pintro ducing Waterlvunde'r suitable pressurejon head to thesystem afterthe openingofthe heads so that asthe non-freezingxsolution initially p released approaches v exhaustion the'y Water J will then supplement the samefand continue j to l'flow from the/ head forsolongfayperiod "as may bedesired. The functioniofthe-torl signand construction ,and g'embodying jearenty valve; therefore, is tovprovide-forthe admission of 1 the Water ktothe lsystem after? al predetermined ,o [iiantity yofrtheV lcalcium chlorideorother non-,freezing solution eInf p loyed' has been released through theopen-l ing of one or moreof the; sprinkler heads.

The principal objectrotf'my invention is to provide a torrent @valve offi'mprovedfdel tures* and "t'tdvantage,sf`r heretoifore"ffoil'nd'y in valves .intended forasimilarpurpose toV provide "a A:torrent valvefofl exceedingly sim- .'ple forni which.' can bef-(manufactured with'.

a minimum of expense; which isfnoti'liable to'y getgout of korder orbe'come'damaged unu' ,der conditions Ofusejand" vvhicli issatisfacs 'PRINKVLER SYSTEMS 1 1928.5 serial No., 273,890.l

torilyioperative for the performanceof'its intended function.

'.Myy invention Jfurther includes .otherob-rv jects, advantages and novel yfeatures of: c onstruction and arrangement of the several elements comprised inlthe valve as herein.` after more specificallyamentioned or which Will'be apparent from the following descrip-V tionoff'a-torrent valve embodying the principles offmy `invention `and illustrated.K4 inv the accompanyingdrawing in'vvhich Fig. l isv a verticalV central section through the valve and Fig@ is a substantially dia-grainmaticmvieWdesigned.to facilitate api-'oper y vunderstanding.of4 the kvoperation of the valvev when installed in a sprinkler system. The

same symbols are used to )designate similar parts in theftvvo 'gures,'and asthe valve is intended particularly for installation in a hollow casing, generally designated ,as l,

vprovidinga mainvchaniber 2 and' an auXil-4 l iary. `chamberfv generally. laterally disposed i.

WithA respect to the Vmain chamber and Vvcom- InunlcatingY therewith. The "casingf .1S are Y VW`hicl1'I:"have v,chosen to lillustrate `comprises ,f

rangedv toiprovide an inlet Vl'rleading upf Y Wardly into. the main `chamber 2, the Wall voff the Yinlet lbeing desirablyupvvardly andk in# vvardly inclined', aswell as` an outlet 5 le'adf`v ing upwardly from the vmain 'chamberand vertically laligned with the' inlet. AfTo4 facili tate connectionwoi'rthe valve to the supply.

the'inletlgthecasing may be provided at its .linelbyinelans'of which Wateris supplieidto i '901 f i lower end with a Asuitablevflange landsimif the casinginay he provided vvithfaflbllge7V vat its .upper extremity; f-

An i annular seat 8 is. threadedv linto the upper end Iof the I'inlet for "the 'reception'of amain valve clapper 10 ivhh isfoarried byJ i a', Vgenerallylhorizontally v'extending arm '12.12.,a

plvoted on a'horifzontal, transversely lextendf 'larly, tofacilitateconnectionof theoutlet l* p' op f 5 With the lineleading to the-sprinkler heads 40 i V'j ing-been effected 'in 'Qthe vInanner described,

the ifmoperation of thesystem and moreparfy torrentfvalve is alsoconnectedxthrough the 'medium of the flangejf? ,with amain .pipe

B from VWhich branchesfB extendxthrough outgf-ther building .tofptheglvarious sprinkler 4 heads; C, some'or allay ofkwhichmay Vbelo- Vvcated* inv rooms. orgthe' liker Whereithe'ytemperatu-re is eitherI normally below? the freezlng point of Water or Velse sometimes falls below thatpoint so' that if the pipes` were illed fvyith Water there; would' be, danger `of their,.freezing. J For containing -the solution V'of'. calciumV chloride, orf' other non-freezing mixture, a'tank T may be located in l1an ele'- vated vpositionl so asztoaiford the Arequired head and connected'byfa pipe D With the pipe "B, shut-.off .valves :E being .v desirably disposedv in pipe "D" at.'7 suitablej points 'for controlling the flow oflfluidtherethrough. From soine convenienti pointlin themain B a smallerpipe F, desirablyf provided With a .control or shut-orl'valve Gr,- is extended-to a valve H of the typecommerci-allyknown as'anV altitude controlling valve ora-pres sure ycontrolling.' valve Which is. connected inr and arranged to establish or cutoffl flow through the zdrain pipe yI fextending 'from the port 28 of `the torrent. valveV to the vsewer orl other ldrainagepoint. Desirably .a check valvenlA "is vlocated in the pipe-ID betweenpthe tankand the pipe F voperativel to permit flow ofluid through pipe D to main vB but to prevent thevflow thereof. in the opposite direction- Whilea checkjyalve is located in -the'main `B above the torrent valveso asy to Apermit flower.. Water rfrom the ltorrent valve into the main abovethecheclrvalve but to preventiflovwfromthe pipe D-intothe torrent valve.v y The various con'nections 'have ticularly of the rtorrent valvexvvill now be explained: Under "normal fconditionsand with theY valve andy@ open vand the sprinkler-A heads C closed,fthe A pipes leadingto the Vjlatter .'Will` beffilledvv Wit-liV the nonfreezing solution iat; a pressure or head y'des 'terminedby thelposition -of'theJ-tanlruf'l, the y pressure of this solutionacting through pipe F on the'l controlvalve ;H, operating to mainA tain.: the :latterV in suchcondition-that How of' and y,@linfaare,taceithrougt pipe* I past fvalve H1, ,The supplyppe ,AVK and ,inlet l oi ,the ktorrent v` alveffarieh VValso '.illed'y with `v wva'ter under xWhatever: pressurefis main-f tained inthe supplypipefAvvhile the'fauxf'- Y iliary chamber''of thev torrentyalve is like.; wiseifilled Withyvater undervs'iwmiilar pressure Q-fbecausefoif the "connection-eiected betvvee'nf' .saidv/ chamber andlthe in-let Lithrough the nderi" these; inormal conditions,clappenlO isrheldj tightfly closed on its: seat rthrough f the operationy` of' ,the ,lug

24 carriedbyfthe auxiliaryvalve clapper which bears onI the arnr12 thus preventing` any owf of Water from inlet 21l into the lchamber .2.V v,As .the area of the clapper l0 subJected to the 4Water ypressure in theinlet is l,considerably less than the arealof the auriliary valve clapper .A1-7. subjected to thelsimilarA pressure inthe. auxiliary chamber ,3,

beneath .the vmain clapperv and in thidaux-V ythe auxiliary valves clapper` thus'remains y effective to hold the'main clapper on vits seat so long as'the same pressure is maintained Y iliary chamber, a condition which rexists so long as loW through drain pipe I is interjrupted by the controlvalve `H'.

However, upon the opening vofjone ofthe sprinkler heads C followingy a predeter-y mined rise Vin the temperature of thev air in its vicinity, the ,non-:freezing solution supplied to the system from the tank-'llv im'.- mediately issues from said head or heads and asy the fluid pressure in the pipe B and,

in turn, npipe F decreasesin correspond-y ence With the diminution of the-supply of solution in tank T, a point is very quickly reached atv which said; pressure is .insuliii 90'V cient to maintain the control valve closed', A

with the result that said yvalve'operates to.V

open pipel I..V As the effective ,area of the port 28 connected With said pipe as Well asthat of. the piplefitself .isgreate'r than Je,"

the corresponding area of theequalizing pipe 25, the Water inthe auxiliary chz'unber.4 3 110W beginsto drain therefrom vmore rapidly than it can be suppliedthereto `by* the equalizing Ypipe 25 so that the pressure I acting on the auxiliary valveclapper 17 ,is

Very rapidly 'lowered to a' point at which itis no longer effective to overbalancethe tion, indicated 'in ldotted lines 4in Fig.. l,

to Which itis finally y carried; 'through the 'i action of the countervveight At{leanvliile' main dapper l0A haSnaSQbeQnfSWUns-.Q open position bythe rush of Waterv through the inlet thusV clearing the pass age l,the inlet. t0 the. 'Outlet-951th@ torre/lieve permitting-thervvater-'t lovv-intolfn in 'Bi and branch pipes -Bp-Y'.

tinue to vioW' Ithereinto.J aswellv so tha f mixturepf WaterV and nonsfreezingsolution:

will issue.. from L Zthe.' fopen Vlneadyfuntill ,Y Y the n'onffvreezing. solution 'is exhausted after.-

lve andjff ..7 1,15`

Although byjthis timey the' non-freezing solution-isl ordinarily n earlyvexhausted, acertain.quantitygtliereoii f usually'still remainsin thetanlnand pipe `D, so .that fora; short periodgar'ftervthe. ad?.l

mission; ofyva'ter to the pipe'sgB, Bthis remainingv noni-freezing solution yWillv 5,

which V-W'ater alone will issue" from' the'.y l y until .thejfloW fromhe supply. pipetoA the'` torrent valve is intentionally yshut oftliusfV leaving the,@errent valve ,with both;y ofiits.

A A 1 r` ticalvrrjplaneif'in* said vauxiliary-'chamb'eru vand t- 5'5- operative; whenV in lone position; toclose the y fvalve clappersinV open positioni YTofireset' theclappers o-the torrent valve from such position itis necessary toremove the cover r` plate 1'5so the mainclapper can be swung 'down' onto its seat'by the insertion ofja suitable instrument'. over `the 'upperf edge Vof theauxiliary elapper after which the latter maybe manually ymoved-z'nrgainstl its seat' 'upon 'which it ftendstofremain by freasonVv ofits vinclination 4from` the vertical. The coverpl'ate may then be `replaced andV water Y j'unde'r-` low `pressure admitted j to the 'inlet 'z Y e l fromV the Ysup-ply pipe sol as Ato graduallyA y i V,5` equalizing pipe without disturbingthe'adjusted position of lthe valve 4clappers; as `soon'as the auxiliary chamber is ille'd',=theV pressure on `the supply Y'may be increased sinceV there is then -no danger of disturbing 26 theadjusted position'iof the clappers.

While-the check valves J and l are not absolutely necessary, their employment in v Y thep'o'sitions indicated is desirablesince the valve` K 1 prevents the fmain chamber of the 5 torrent-*valve from filling y.with the non# reezingsolutionjwhile'the valve J is eiiective to' prevent Vwater 'from iowing" up into the tanlefollowing-the,opening oi' the tor=- rent valve. 1' I Y vWhile YI have .herein described and .illus Y trated'a' preferred' embodiment of myinven'- tion .with considerable*particularity, IdoV 1 notthereby desirefo'rintend to specifically limit mysel'fther'eto as-minor changes and 35 modiicationsmay 'be made inthe design Y construction and 'arrangement of thevariousleleinents without 'departing from the spirit 'ands'cope of the'invention as deiined in the'appended claims. Q

a .Having thusr describedmy invention, I Aclaim Vand desire vto protect by Letters Patent oftheUnited'State'sf v Y 1. A. valveof the ClaSsdesCribed, com-v prisinga casing'having' an inlet andan out- 5flet, a-main chamber disposed therebetween 1 and an auxiliary chamber communicating l withjfthe main chamber, a main valve clapper j Y y fpivoted inthe Vmainl chamber for movement in a vertical @plane andfoperative *toV control d the admission oflu'id to Ysaid chamberfrom v' V- greater karea than Asaid main-V valve:"'clapperVv horizontally* pivoted for fmovement" in. aY ver-Y ;pa'sjsage ibet'v'veenY theV mainand auxiliary'- if chambers, avr lug .carried byithefauxiliary valQve'clapperf'operativefto ,hold the main clapp'er closed' over ftheV inlet wheny said; fau-x- 601V iliary' clapperi's in 'said position, and means Y j forming a fluid passageVfromftheinlet to-n Y Y thej auxiliary valve l'clfiambefr `operative y to f maintainthe'sameluidfpressure'in the auxilf A iaryj chamber a'sjinthefinlet when bothof Y, i l6,5 'said valve?"clapp'ers Vare fin- Vclosedposition'.

2..'A valve of theclass "described, coni-V 'prising a casing having an inlet, an outletV aligned therewith, a main chamber disposed `between the inletandthe Voutletfand auxiliary chamber laterally ofi'setw'ithV respect to the main chamber Aand vcommunioating therewith, a main valve `clapper in the main chamber pivoted for movement inl a vertical plane andY operativertolopen and close they .i

inlet, an auxiliary valvel'clapper of greater area than the Ymain' clapper disposed in the. v Vauxiliary/chamber and-horizontally pivoted for .movement Vin Va vertical plane therein,

'a valve Lseat interposed between the'inainV and auxiliary chamber adapted for the yre-` posed in arplane inclined toward the main ception of said auxiliary rclapper and. dis- 80" clapper, a lug carried bythe auxiliary clap- Y per operative yto 'hold themainfclapper'in c'losed'position when theauxiliary clapper isV on said se'at,`means forming ariuid pas- Y sage of relatively restricted area between the inlet beneath the main'clapperV andthe auxiliary chamber operative to maintain the same Huid lpressure-in the'rauxiliary chamberas in the inlet when*A theY clappersare closed, and a drain `port leading from the Vauxiliary chamber 'of `greater eiiective areaV than said Alast mentioned means whereby liiuid'. can drain vtrom saidh chamber more rapidly when said port is open than 'it can saidr last mentioned be supplied thereto'` by means'-V .Y

3. A valve of the 'class described, come prising a casing: havingV aligned vinlet and outlet ports, a Y main chamber interposed therebetween and an auxiliary VVchamber laterally offsetV Iwith respect to the:v main chamberf andV4 communicating therewith, a y

valve seat atV the inner endof saidinletport,

a main valveclapper ,cooperative therewith A to kopen and closeV the port, an arm support-4 ing the clapper'and pivotedftoVswingyin'a vertical plane in themainchamber, an aux-V Y iliary valve dapper-disposed in the auxiliary chamber and pvoted on af horizontal pivot forfmovement (in a verticalpl'ane, a valve seat surrounding the passage between the man'and auxiliary chambers,inclined to,

ward themainval've andadapted for the reception lof said"v auxiliary valvev clapper, a

lug' carried by theauxiliaryclapper adapted i to ydirectl'yengage saidari'n to hold themain' Y clapper on its seatvwhen the auxiliary clap@V perris onits seat,aconnection'extendingV Y, between the auxiliarychamber and thev inlet e Y Yat a point beneath the mainfclapper .and Y Vfprming a l:flu-id ypassager*between the inletvand the auxiliary chamber of vrelatively restricted size, and?` al Adrain-port` leading Vfrom theV auxiliary chamber'of'greater'eff if i fective size 'e than said@connection1`r 'wherebyV when said port is open fluidmay-be4 drained! 1,765,840 l i fr 5 can vbe supplied thereto through said con-vr nection. v

4. A valve of theclass described, comprising a casing-havingzvertically aligned f mlet` and loutlet ports,I a main chamber disposed therebetween and an auxiliary cham-y ber laterally offset tromy ther main chamber 'A and communicating therewith, an annular valveseat at the upper end-oi:l said inlet lo port, a pivoted valve clapper lmovable tol and from said seat in a vertical plane'and operative to control the admission of fluidl from the inlet to the casing, an annular valve seat interposed between the main and auxiliary chambers and inclinedfrom the vertical toward the main chamber, the area of the passage defined by the seat being'. greater than the area of the `passage defined nby the first mentioned seat, anfauxiliary,V valve clapper pivoted in the auxiliary'chamber adapted to cooper'ate'with the auxiliary 'valve seat and to move in a vertical plane from closed position on saidvseat toropen position away from said seat, meansvcarri'ed byrsaid clapper. operative when the clapper isin closed position to hold the main clapkper on its seat, .a connection between the auxiliary chamber and the inlet at a point beneathvthe main clapper affordinga fluid passage lof relatively restricted areabetween the inlety and the auxiliary chamber, and a drain port leading from said auxiliary chamber of greater effective area than said c iuid passage whereby 'when saidv ort is '35 Open fluid will be drained from sai chamv .berr more rapidly than it can-be `supplied thereto through saidv passage.'` A Innwtness whereof, I` have hereunto .set myy hand this 26th day Yof April, 1928. t v 40 y LEROY M.` LEWIS.y j 

